


Standoffish

by FeelingPrettyNeen



Category: Dumbing of Age
Genre: Just One Long Conversation Really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 20:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20681795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeelingPrettyNeen/pseuds/FeelingPrettyNeen
Summary: It's hard enough to catch a break during midterms. But there's no rest at all when Carla wants to bug you!





	Standoffish

"Well well, look who it is."

Sal glanced behind her to see Carla approaching. She didn't let Carla's smirk bother her. She was used to that by now. "Oh, hey. What, y'lookin' for me?"

"Pff, no." Carla replied, as she seated herself just a little aways from Sal. "I'm just out for a smoke break, that's all." She patted her pockets for a moment before fishing out a pack of cigarettes.

Sal just shrugged, returning to staring at the night sky. She liked hanging out on the stairs outside the dorm, but it meant inevitably getting pestered by somebody. Sometimes Danny, occasionally Joyce, but usually it was Carla. Well, whatever. Carla usually wasn't too much of a nuisance. Sal leaned back a little, and started to let her mind drift again.

"So..." Carla started, having lit her cigarette, "What're _you_ up to, huh?"

"Nothin' much." Sal replied, without turning, "Just tryin' ta take a break from studyin', ah guess."

"Ahh, freshmen midterms." Carla shook her head, chuckling. "Such fond memories. Everything was so much easier back then." She took a drag of her cigarette, and smirked at Sal. "Just wait'll you see what you gotta deal with at _my_ level."

"Tch." Sal cocked an eyebrow at Carla. "Alright then, miss high-an'-mighty sophmore, then why don'tcha take a look at my math work? If it's so beneath you and all."

"We~ellll..." Carla puffed, then set her cigarette aside for a moment. "Freshman math is definitely no problem for an engineering student of my caliber. S'just, y'know. Normally when someone wants my help I make 'em grovel for it a little..."

"Ech, forget it." Sal grimaced. "If yer gonna be weird about it."

Carla pouted. "I mean, I'd settle for you asking nicely..."

Sal rolled her eyes, turning away again. "Ah was jokin' anyway. 'Rather figger my shit out myself anyway." 

"... Right." Carla averted her gaze too, looking put-off. She stared at her cigarette, previously forgotten between her fingers, and eventually smushed it out.

Sal sighed. Well, maybe now she could relax for a moment?

Carla cleared her throat. "So, like..."

"Mmmh?"

"Roller derby, huh? How's that?"

"What, y'don't hear 'nuff 'bout it from Marcie or Malaya?"

"Well, sure, but... you just jumped into it all of a sudden, and then you barely talk about it. You find out it sucks or something?"

"Nah it's-- it's alright." Sal found herself insisting. "Better'n ah expected, really." She paused. "S'just... organized sports, that's all."

"Not your thing?"

"Not really, ah guess."

"Yeah, me either." Carla leaned back, looking up at the sky for a moment. "Really didn't expect you to go for that. And with that one chick from our floor, too. Amber, right? Heh, I didn't know you knew her, too."

Sal shifted slightly, hoping Carla would leave it at that.

But when did Carla ever do what someone else wanted? "So, come on." She demanded. "You two got some kinda history or something?"

"Carla." Sal snapped. "Don't."

Carla cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"... Just leave it, alright?"

Carla hesitated a moment, processing. "Okay, fine, geez." She huffed. "Just tryin' to make conversation."

"Tch." Sal knew she shouldn't be getting mad at Carla. She didn't know what she was asking about, after all. "Nothin' against you, arright? Ah just ain't gettin' into that."

"Yeah yeah, I get it." Carla turned away from Sal.

Great, she was obviously sulking. At least she'd finally shut up? ...Welp. Sal rubbed her arm uncomfortably. She shook her head and leaned back, looking at the sky again. Her knuckles rapped against the wall in an uneven beat. 

Goddammit, she wanted this peace and quiet. But now it was unbearable!

She cleared her throat. "Sorry to ruin yer smoke break, or whatever."

Carla glanced back at Sal, studying her cautiously for a moment. "Nah, s'fine." She replied, instantly nonchalant again. "I'm used to how standoffish you are, after all."

"Ah'm not-" Sal caught herself again. "Alright, yes, that is somethin' ah'm workin' on."

"Ennh, it's whatever." Carla insisted, waving a hand dismissively. "I get it, you kind of hate making friends. Lucky for you, I'm good enough at it for both of us."

Sal raised an eyebrow. "... Uh huh. Izzat why you keep tryin' ta follow me around like a lost puppy?" Her eyes narrowed, a thought occurring. "Ah just figger'd you were takin' lessons from _Joyce."_

"H-hey!" Carla sputtered. "Hey!"

Sal's mind raced. "Ah mean, c'mon... y'won't take no for an answer,"

"-'Cuz I do what I want!"

"And y'wanna wear the same clothes as me..." 

"No, I want _you_ to wear the same clothes as _me_!"

"An' yer always followin' me around..."

"That's just 'cuz, well..."

Sal smirked as Carla's protests faltered. "Face it. Yer like two a' tha' same."

Carla pouted. "How are you owning me this badly? And when is it going to stop!?"

"Now, it ain't so bad, Carla. Joyce's _sorta_ cool. Once ya get ta know 'er..."

"I'm, like, fifty times cooler than her!" Carla insisted, hastily scrambling up. "I bet she can't even skate!"

As Carla glared at her expectantly, Sal just chuckled and shook her head. Carla paused. Eventually she plopped back down hastily, laughing nervously.

"Alright, alright." She said, trying to play her frustration off, "Well played. See? I knew you could be less of a stick-in-the-mud if you tried."

"Sure, if gettin' burned savagely is yer idea of fun." Sal replied.

"Yes."

What? Sal blinked, and looked at Carla incredulously. 

"I mean. Maybe." Carla's lip was curled oddly. Sal decided it was better not to ask.

"Look..." She said instead, "Ah ain't the type to just open up to people when they want me to. Ah think maybe ah'm more used to fightin' people than makin' friends with 'em."

"Yeah, I get that." Carla replied. Her gaze trailed off into the distance. "There's a lot of assholes out there. We all learn to deal with what we're handed, I guess." She looked back at Sal. "But, like, you never take shit from anybody. And it's, y'know, kinda badass."

Sal chuckled softly. That was probably as close to a genuine compliment as Carla was going to get right now. "Thanks, but... ah don't know if ah like that about myself anymore. Kinda figured out that ah can't solve every problem by fightin'."

"Okay, so don't." Carla insisted, jabbing a finger in Sal's direction. "You're still badass, and you can figure out whatever you gotta. You wanna get better at making friends or whatever, do it. And hey, look, here I am totally helpin' with that. Good thing I followed you out here, huh?"

Sal raised an eyebrow. "What happened to takin' a smoke break?"

Carla shrugged. "I think we both knew that was a lie. I do what I want, y'know?" She leaned in closer to Sal, obnoxious smirk back in full force. "And I happen to like that about myself, so it's not like you can get rid of me anyway."

"Pfft. Alright, alright." Sal replied, smiling even as she motioned for Carla to back off. "Y'know what? Fine. Y'wanna help me make sure I got my math stuff squared away? As a friend."

Carla glanced down idly, feigning disinterest for a moment. "Mmm, I dunno..."

Sal folded her arms, waiting patiently for Carla to quit playing around.

"Oh, why not." Carla answered, standing back up. "I guess you asked nicely, in the end."

"Heh, ah guess so." Sal mused. Huh. She'd forgotten how tall Carla was.

"You sure you don't want some skating tips instead though?" Carla asked, hopping down from the ledge. "I bet you'd enjoy roller derby a lot more if you didn't suck at it."

"Wha- you know damn well ah can skate just fine!"

"Hey, we're talking free skating lessons from a master." Carla jabbed a finger at herself. "This master. You sure you wanna turn that down?"

Sal rolled her eyes. "So we'll do the math thing, what, lunchtime tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure." Carla declared, heading back towards the building. "It's a date."

Sal smiled, feeling herself relax again. Carla really wasn't so bad, now that she was figuring out how to get along with her. Just had to get underneath all that stubbornness and sass.

Wait. Date? "Izzat supposed t'be yer big comeback?" She asked, spinning around. "Carla? Hey!"

But Carla was already inside the building, the door slamming shut as she dashed away.


End file.
